“You cherish the good reputation, I’ll accept the bad one”: Exclusive source reveals the reason behind Bunnie Xo and Jelly Roll’s breakup despite “still being in love.”

The right person, but the wrong time?

Jelly Roll’s decision to file for divorce from wife Bunnie Xo came as a shock to many fans — but according to a source, the split did not come out of nowhere.

The country star, 41, filed for divorce from Bunnie, 46, after nearly 10 years of marriage on May 18, citing irreconcilable differences and noting May 9 as the couple’s date of separation.

A Jelly Roll source tells PEOPLE that the two have “always had a complicated dynamic” that stretches back to the early days of their relationship. When they first met, Jelly was struggling financially and Bunnie made her living as a sex worker. They had a platonic friendship before they took their relationship to the next level in 2016.

“When they first got together, they were both in a very different place in their lives,” the source says. “There was a lot of chaos, ups and downs, and they built a life together through all of that.”

Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo at the ACM Awards in Frisco, Texas in May 2025.Michael Buckner/Penske Media via Getty

Still, the source notes that Jelly — whose career has taken off in a major way and who recently shed nearly 300 lbs. — has “changed a lot.”

“He’s very focused on his future, his health and being around for a long time,” the source says. “There wasn’t a moment where everything fell apart. They still love each other but were no longer on the same page about certain things, including what they wanted their future to look like. People saw the public side of things, but there was a lot more going on privately.”

While the “Save Me” singer and the Dumb Blonde podcast host often praised one another in public, they’ve also been open about making it through rough patches, including Jelly’s affair in 2018, during which they broke up for several weeks.

The couple were also vocal about their IVF journey and their hope to welcome a child (Jelly is dad to daughter Bailee, 18, and son Noah, 9, from previous relationships).

While accepting a Grammy Award in February, Jelly (real name Jason DeFord) teared up as he thanked Bunnie (real name Alisa DeFord) for changing his life for the better.

Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo in an Instagram post.xomgitsbunnie/Instagram

“I want to thank my beautiful wife. I would have never changed my life without you,” he said. “I would have ended up dead or in jail. I would have killed myself if it wasn’t for you and Jesus. I thank you for that.”

Bunnie, meanwhile, praised the star in a January interview with PEOPLE as “the coolest dude ever.”

“His soul is so golden and pure and he really is a good man. Granted, we were both assholes when we first got together, but we have evolved together and if one of us is sinking, the other one pulls the other one up and we just keep evolving,” she said. “I think that’s the most beautiful thing in our relationship, is that we heal together.”

She also opened up about what their marriage had taught her about love, namely that it “can be safe and not boring.”

“When you grow up in a childhood like what I had, you thrive in chaos and it was really hard for me the first two or three years to not pick a fight with him or try to get that push and pull of toxicity that I had in every other relationship,” she said. “And he’s just been such a steady, just beacon of light in my life. And I just love that man. He’s just the best.”